What is Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS)?

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) is a framework for creating safe and orderly learning environments in schools, while improving the social-emotional outcomes for students. It is a proactive approach that relies on research based practices, including developing clear behavioral expectations, teaching these expectations, acknowledging appropriate behavior, consistently correcting inappropriate behavior, and using behavioral data to systematically solve problems.

SW-PBS is built on a multi-tiered system of support model that provides additional behavioral supports to students who are not responding to universal or Tier 1 interventions.

TIER 1 OVERVIEW
TIER 2 OVERVIEW
TIER 3 OVERVIEW

MO SW-PBS Mission & Strategic Plan Goals

Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (MO SW-PBS) is a product of collaboration between the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (The DESE), the University of Missouri (MU) Center for Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support and the Missouri Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDCs). MO SW-PBS began in 2001 through a local Improvement Grant (LIG) to assist Missouri educational systems to build capacity, adopt and implement high quality practices, make informed decisions, ensure sustainability of efforts and increased success for all students. In 2006 The DESE provided funding for Regional SW-PBS Consultants in 6/9 RPDCs.

Currently, The DESE supports funding for a network of SW-PBS Consultants with Tier 1, 2 and 3 expertise in all 9 RPDC’s, state level SW-PBS Coaches, a Web-Data Consultant and a State Director. The MO SW-PBS statewide team provides professional development and technical assistance for the social behavioral component of The DESE’s multi-tiered, Statewide System of Support (SSoS). These supports assist schools and districts to systematically develop, implement, and sustain multi-tiered frameworks for behavioral and academic support.

Additionally, MO SW-PBS sustains strategic partnerships with organizations within Missouri as well as those out of state (e.g., The Kansas Institute for Positive, Healthy, & Inclusive Communities  [KIPHIC], Wisconsin RTI Center, etc.), and at the national level (e.g., Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports OSEP Technical Assistance Center and Association for Positive Behavior Support [APBS] etc.) that work to improve life outcomes for all students. The MO SW-PBS mission and strategic plan goals are aligned with The DESE’s “Top 10 by 20” goals.

MO SW-PBS Mission

The mission of Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (MO SW-PBS) is to assist schools and districts in establishing and maintaining school environments where the social culture and behavioral supports needed to be an effective learning environment are in place for all students.

MO SW-PBS Strategic Plan Goals

  1. MO SW-PBS is the social behavioral, three-tiered Intervention utilized in the Statewide
    System of Support (SSOS). MO SW-PBS Consultants sustain capacity to provide professional development and technical assistance for social behavioral interventions across three tiers of support.
  2. MO SW-PBS provides standardized professional development and technical assistance for school teams and administrators.
  3. MO SW-PBS utilizes a systematic process for data collection and evaluation of implementation fidelity and student outcomes.
  4. MO SW-PBS implements systems for replication, sustainability, and improvement.
  5. MO SW-PBS utilizes a communication plan targeted to stakeholders.

MO SW-PBS Mission: “Why do we exist?”

The mission of MO SW-PBS is to facilitate the building capacity of all Missouri schools and districts to establish and sustain a research-based, multi-tiered behavioral framework that supports positive outcomes for all students.

MO SW-PBS Vision: “What do we hope to become?”

The vision of MO SW-PBS is for Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support to be the behavioral framework that all Missouri schools and districts implement with consistency, fidelity, and equity.

MO SW-PBS Values: “How must we behave?”

If we value Positivity, then we:

  • assume positive intent with our stakeholders.
  • build positive relationships with our stakeholders.
  • work to support the development of safe and supportive environments for our stakeholders.
  • actively seek opportunities to celebrate success.

If we value Growth, then we:

  • are flexible, willing to change and open to new ideas.
  • provide timely, constructive feedback that is authentic and purposeful to our stakeholders.
  • are prepared every day and give our stakeholders the knowledge and skills that will meet their needs, while stretching their thinking.
  • implement cycles of continuous improvement in our work and that of our stakeholders.
  • value critical feedback that moves implementation efforts in desired direction.
  • analyze data to guide collaborative decision making.

If we value Equity, then we:

  • demonstrate behaviors where all dimensions of diversity are respected and valued.
  • treat our stakeholders with respect.
  • provide our stakeholders awareness of vulnerable decision points when bias may influence decision-making.
  • engage our stakeholders in development of systems of support that are representative of their members’ cultures.

If we value Research, then we:

  • use evidence based research to guide development of materials for use with our stakeholders.
  • consistently seek out emerging research within our field of work.
  • work to implement our strategic plan with fidelity, with an end goal of sustainability.

MO SW-PBS Strategic Goals: How will we mark our progress? “WHEN

  • Goal 1 Sustain materials for stakeholders to implement a multi-tiered system of behavioral support.
  • Goal 2.1 Build capacity of external takeholders across Missouri to implement a multi-tiered system of behavioral support with consistency and fidelity.
  • Goal 2.2. Build capacity of internal stakeholders across Missouri to implement a multi-tiered system of behavioral support with consistency and fidelity.
  • Goal 3 Build durable systems for DBDM that focus on monitoring implementation and equitable outcomes for all students.

The role of the Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) Leadership Team is to provide technical assistance, long-range planning and policy development for the state Positive Behavior Support initiative. The Leadership Team is responsible for the development and facilitation of an action plan to promote the following outcomes:

  • Cooperation across state/regional initiatives to work on improving State Performance Plan (SPP) indicators (including cooperative efforts aligning RTI and SW-PBS across academic/behavioral goals).
  • Development and maintenance of website to improve access to information about SW-PBS for Missouri schools and districts.
  • Establish a network of highly trained SW-PBS Consultants to provide technical assistance through the Regional Professional Development Centers.
  • A standardized data collection system and measures across demographic/academic/behavioral indicators to evaluate implementation efforts.
  • A series of standardized training modules for administrators, teachers, support staff and school boards related to SW-PBS.
  • Promote the adoption and implementation of evidence based behavior and academic instructional practices across schoolwide, classroom and individual student systems.
  • Reduce the use of reactive disciplinary measures in schools.
  • Increase the capacity of schools to to prevent, eliminate and/or overcome the obstacles that may prevent an individual with disabilities from learning and full and active participation in the school environment.

MO SW-PBS Leadership Team Members:

  • Mark Wheatley, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Gwen Deimeke, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • James Bouslaugh, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Stacy Holt, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Dr. Timothy J. Lewis, University of Missouri
  • Dr. Nanci W. Johnson, Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Dr. Gordon Way, Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Jody Baker, Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Chrissy Crolly, Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Neeley Beliveau, Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Angela Maseman, Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support

Missouri Schoolwide PBS (MO SW-PBS) is supported through an active partnership with:

In addition, MO SW-PBS collaborates with a number of state agencies and national organizations, including: